Track-switch-operating mechanism.



No. 773,324. PATENTED OCT. 25, 1904.

G. P. HOPEWELL. I

- TRACK SWITCH OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 17, 1904.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Ldibne 5E5. FIG].- 6 QIQJIHUEH'LIURIY PATBNTED OUT. 25, 1904.

C. F. HOPEWELL.

TRACK SWITCH ()PERATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 17, 1904.

2 SHEBTSSHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

LUitnE55E5 Patented October 25, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES F. HOPEWELL, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

TRACK-SWlTCH-OPERATING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 773,324, dated October25, 1904.

Application filed August 1'], 1904.

To (all whom; it nuuy concern.

Be it known that I, CHARL sF. HOPEWELL, of Cambridge, county ofMiddlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement inTrack-Switch-Operating Mechanism, of which the following description, inconnection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, likecharacters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to electrically-operated railway-switchesespecially adapted for electric railways, and has for its object toprovide two similarly-constructed actuating devices for the pivotedswitch-plate, one for moving it in one direction and the other formoving it in the opposite direction, and to provide an operating devicefor said actuating devices, and means for determining which actuatingdevice shall be operated by the operating device, said means being underthe control of the operator or motorman.

Figure 1 shows in plan View a track-switch and actuating devices for itand in front elevation and diagram the operating device for saidactuating devices and means under the control of the motorman fordetermining which actuating device shall operate. 2 is a View showingthe operating and selecting solenoids and circuit-controlling devicesoperated'by them, the selecting-solenoid being energized and the movablemember of the circuit-controlling devices being thereby set in positionto be operated by the operating-solenoid to close the circuit of one ofthe actuating devices for the switch-plate. Fig. 3 is a similar view ofthe parts, the operatingsolenoid being energized and one of the circuitsoperated by it closed. Fig. l is a View showing the operating andselecting solenoids and the circuit-controlling devices operated bythem, the movable member of the circuitcontrolling devices beingrepresented as closing the circuit of the other actuating device for theswitch-plate. Fig. 5 is a detail showing the cross-bar to which themovable member of the circuit-controlling devices is attached. Fig. 6 isa longitudinal section of the box or case containing the actuatingdevices Serial No. 221,014. (No model.)

forthe switch-plate, taken on the dotted line 5 5, Fig. 1. V

a represents the ordinary switch-plate, which is pivoted at a. An arm ais secured to said switch-plate, which projects through a hole in oneside of a box or case Z) and is connected loosely to the extremity of ashort arm (p secured to a sleeve a, mounted upon an upright post orother fixed support which is contained within said box or case 6. Thesleeve cf has secured to or formed integral with it an arm a", whichprojects a short distance, and to the extremity of said arm a loop-likelink a is loosely connected, and said link surrounds the sleeve, and itsopening is made large enough to provide for the free and un obstructedmovement of the link, as will be required. To the opposite or rear-endof said loop-like link a a strong spring a is connected, the action ofwhich isto pull upon the arm a and hold the sleeve, with said arm a atone or the other side of a line passing through the sleeve and the pointof attach ment of the spring to thereby yieldingly yet positively holdthe pivoted switch-plate a in either one of its two positions.

A cross-bar c is rigidly secured to the sleeve (6, to both extremitiesof which solenoid-armatures c are loosely connected one for the solenoida and the other for the solenoid c and ase'ither one of the solenoids isenergized its armature will be attracted and the crossbarcorrespondingly moved to thereby turn the sleeve and move theswitch-plate a on its pivot. The solenoids 0 0" therefore respectivelymove the switch-plate in opposite ways and, together with theconnections between their-armatures and the switch-plate, serve as andconstitute two actuating devices for said switch-plate one for movingthe switch-plate in one direction and the other for moving it in theopposite direction. The two solenoids and their armatures and connectedparts are all contained in the box or case 6, being placed at the bottomof the box and covered first by a plate 5, which has a hole through itfor the sleeve, and then by a plate Z2 The compartment of the boxcontaining the actuating devices is thus made water-tight. The twosolenoids are adapted to be operated by means controlled by the motormanof the passing car, so that either solenoid may be operated at the willof the motorman. 7

Each solenoid c c is included in a separate circuit, and thecircuit-controlling devices for said circuits are operated by thesolenoid (jl, which is herein referred to as the operating-solenoid, andcontrolled by the solenoid c, which is herein referred to as theselecting-solenoid. The solenoids (Z and (2 are contained in a box orcase f. The armature c of the solenoid e is loosely connected at itslower end to one end of a cross-bar and at its upper end a headed pin issecured to it, which by striking upon the upper end of the solenoidlimits the downward movement of the armature. The armature (Z of thesolenoid (l is loosely connected at its lower end to the opposite end ofsaid crossbar and at its upper end a headed pin (Z is secured to it,which by striking upon the upper end of the solenoid limits the downwardmovement ol? the arn'iature. The cross-bar is thus supported by the twoarmatures c (1.

The cross-bar has an arm which extends upward and which is insulatedfrom the cross-bar, said arm being herein shown as set in and passingthrough a block of insulating material, (represented at Fig. 5,) andsaid arm is adapted to serve as the movable member of thecircuit-controlling devices for the circuits of the solenoids c c. Thearm is designed to engage the contaet-plate 7a to close one of thecircuits and to engage the contactplate 1' to close the other circuit,said contactplates being secured to the frame-plate within the box f.

A wire 71 leads from the contact-plate /t to the solenoid (fland a wire7L2 leads from said solenoid to tlieg'i'ouncl, and a wire 1'' leads fromthe contact-plate vi to the solenoid c and a wire fleads from saidsolenoid to the ground. A wire leads from the arm g to a fixed plate land from said plate to the main trolley-wire at j; but said arm normallyoccupies a vertical position out of engagement with both contact-platesl1 and i, as shown in Fig. '1.

The trolley-wire has two insulated sections, (represented at m and 12.)These sections form a part of the trolley-wire, but are insulatedtherefrom and from each other by sections U of insulating material. Awire 11/ leads from the section m to the solenoid e, and a wire m leadsfrom said solenoid to the plate Z. A wire 92' leads from the section 22to the solenoid (Z, and a wire 01 leads from said solenoid to the plateA.

7 represents the trolley, and 7) the circuitcontroller, which is underthe control of and operated by the motorman, and which is connected incircuit with the motor which leads to the ground.

In operation, when the trolley passes onto the insulated section in itthe controller is closed the circuit of the solenoid (1 is closed, thecircuit thus established leading from the trolley-wire, over wire 3' toplate Z, over wire m solenoid (a, wire on, insulated section 11/, andtrolley 72 to ground, and the solenoid is energized and draws up thearmature and moves the arm toward the right, as shown in Fig. 2. The armpasses beneath but does not engage the contact-plate (7, and thecircuits of the solenoids c c are not effected by this movement of thearm (7. Then as the trolley passes onto the insulated section 7/, thecontroller 7/ remaining closed, the circuit of the solenoid (Z isclosed, the current passing from the trolley-wire over wire 7' to plateX, then over wire n) to solenoid (Z, then over wire 11 to insulatedsection '21, and then by the trolley through motor to ground. Thesolenoid (Z is energized and its armature (Wattracted, and in practicethis armature is drawn up before the armature c has had time to retract,notwithstanding the circuit of the solenoid (is open by the passing ofthe trolley oil the section 1/, and as a result the arm is forced intoengagement with the contact-plate i, as shown in Fig. 3, closing thecircuit of the solenoid c, which attracts its armature and moves theswitch-plate into the position shown in Fig. 1 for the car to continueon a straight track. The switch-plate having thus been moved will beheld in such position by the spring a and the armature e and (Z will beheld in attracted positions notwithstanding the circuit of the solenoidc is immediately thereafter opened and the circuit of the solenoid (Z islikewise immediately opened by the passing of the trolley oil thesection '22. Thus when the motorman desires to proceed on a straighttrack he holds the controller 7) closed and proceeds under bothinsulated sections m and 1 .If he desires to proceed on a curved track,he opens the controller 7 while the trolley passes beneath the section'mand closes it while passing beneath the section 11. The operation of theparts under this condition is different, for as the trolley passes ontothe section a the solenoid (1 is not only deenergized, but its armature(1' is in its full retracted position, and then as the solenoid (Z isenergized and its armature attracted the arm y will be moved. intoengagement with the contact-plate h, as shown in Fig. 4, thereby closingthe circuit of the solenoid a, which latter attracts its armature andmoves the switchplate into its other position, so as to proceed on thecurve. A wire 25 is employed, which is connected at its opposite endswith the main trolley-wire at points beyond the two insulated sectionsto maintain the continuity of the current, and on the car a branch wirewill be employed, which includes the lamps t and heating apparatus i theparts being so proportioned that the current for the lighting andheating apparatus will not operate the actuating devices of theswitch-plate.

Instead of employing the controller 90 as a means of controlling theoperation of the solenoids e and d the insulated sections 0 between mand a may be made quite short, and the speed of the car may be dependedupon to accomplish this result in the following manner: If the carpasses under the short insulated section 0 slowly, the armature of thesolenoid 6 will have time to retract before the trolley passes onto thesection n; but if the car passes along quickly said armature of solenoida will not have time to retract. It will be seen that the solenoid d ineither event is the operating-solenoid for both actuating devices, andthe solenoid 6 serves as the selecting device or means for determiningwhether one or the other actuating device shall be operated.

This device may be used equally well in a thirdrail system, the thirdrail being the equivalent of the trolley-wire. Furthermore, it isobvious that the insulated sections m and a may be in the track-circuitinstead of the trolley-wire.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s-

1. The combination with a pivoted switchplate, of two solenoids,armatures therefor, a cross-bar to which said armatures are looselyconnected, a sleeve to which said cross-bar is rigidly secured, andmeans for connecting said sleeve with-the switch-plate, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination with a pivoted switchplate, of two solenoids,armatures therefor, a cross-bar to which said armatures are looselyconnected, asleeve to which said cross-bar is rigidly secured, and meansfor connecting said sleeve with the switch-plate, an arm projecting fromsaid sleeve, a spring connected by a link with said arm for holding theswitchplate in either one of its positions, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a pivoted switchplate, and two actuating devicestherefor,

circuits for said actuating devices, circuitcontrolling devices for saidc1rcu1ts, an operating-solenoid for said circuit-controlling devices, aselecting-solenoid for determining which circuit-controlling deviceshall be operated and means for operating said solenoids controlled bythe operator, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a pivoted switchplate, and two actuating devicestherefor, circuits for said actuating devices, circuitcontrollingdevices for said circuits, an operating-solenoid for saidcircuit-controlling devices, a selecting-solenoid for determining whichcircuit-controlling device shall be operated, circuits for saidsolenoids connected with the main trolley-wire, and two insulatedsections of trolley-wire to which the circuits of said'solenoids arerespectively also connected, whereby said solenoid-circuits are operatedby the passing trolley, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a pivoted switchplate, and two actuating devicestherefor, circuits for said actuating devices, circuitcontrollingdevices for said circuits, an operating-solenoid for saidcircuit-controlling devices, a selecting-solenoid for determining whichcircuit-controlling device shall be operated, circuits for saidsolenoids connected with the main trolley-wire, and two insulatedsections of trolley-Wire to which the circuits of said solenoids arerespectively also connected, whereby said solenoid -circuits areoperated by the passing trolley, and a con troller for thetrolley-operated circuits, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a pivoted switchplate, electromagneticallycontrolled means for moving it, a selecting-solenoid, and anoperating-solenoid for the circuits of said means, electricallyconnected to the trolleywire and to respective insulated sections of thetrolley-wire and adapted to be energized at the will of the operator, tocorrespondingly energize respective circuits of said means,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

- CHARLES F. HOPEWELL.

Witnesses:

B. J. NOYES, H. B. DAVIS.

